More than a year on, Julie Butler and her schooner remain missing

Author: Sarah Curtis,
Publish Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2026, 1:20pm

Julie Butler, 56, went missing from Aotea/Great Barrier along with her 18m schooner Blazing Shadz in April, 2025.

Nearly 18 months after a yachtswoman with strong ties to Northland vanished, police have referred the matter to the coroner.

Julie Butler, 56, regarded as a highly competent sailor, disappeared with her 18m schooner Blazing Shadz from Kaiaraara Bay, Aotea/Great Barrier Island, in April last year.

While she had recently been anchoring there, Butler remained a regular visitor to Northland, having lived for more than a decade onboard the vessel in this region – mainly at Ōpua in the Bay of Islands and Urquharts Bay and Taurikura in Whangārei Heads.

She and Blazing Shadz were reported missing from Kaiaraara Bay on April 4, 2025.

Bad weather initially hampered search efforts but by April 7, a police inquiry involving the Maritime Unit, Coastguard, and harbourmasters, particularly in areas Butler was known to visit, was well underway.

Her friends, whānau, and partner agencies were also contacted.

In response to a Northern Advocate inquiry, Auckland central area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said police had carried out extensive inquiries to locate Butler in the past year.

“Julie and her boat the Blazing Shadz remain unaccounted for.

“The matter has been referred to the coroner, who will ultimately make a ruling on this matter.”

Under New Zealand law, police can refer a missing person case to the coroner when inquiries have been exhausted, and investigators believe the person is likely dead. A coroner can then determine whether a death finding should be made, even when a body has not been recovered.

Speculation about Butler’s possible whereabouts has continued online since her disappearance, with many people saying they believe she is fulfilling her global sailing ambitions.

In 2014, Butler told the Bay of Plenty Times she had a dream to sail the world’s longest, single-handed, non-stop voyage.

The article detailed her years spent building Blazing Shadz and her plans to sail around New Zealand before eventually embarking on an ambitious voyage of up to 1000 days at sea.

Butler said the dream of completing the record-setting journey had shaped much of her adult life.

She has been described online as friendly and likeable, and numerous people have commented on her sailing prowess.

Blazing Shadz has been called an impressive and imposing vessel, well-maintained and impossible to miss.

Before building the schooner, Butler had reportedly owned and lived aboard an 11.5m steel yacht similarly called Blazing Shade.

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.